Gentle Readers, though The Practical Cook has covered this territory before, some kitchen tools are versatile enough to warrant another mention. I deeply love my kitchen shears, in spite of, or perhaps because of their inherent ability to cut through anything. Here are three applications for which I’ve used my trusty J.A. Henckels shears in recent days.

Kitchen Shears make short work of flower stems.

Kitchen Shears, Wondertool:

1. Trimming Flowers. Cutting those woody stems at an angle is not a job for the faint of heart or the dull of blade. And the results are so lovely.

Rosemary for the win!

2. Cutting Herbs. After doing no small amount of damage to my ever-expanding rosemary bush by breaking of a stem or two, I’ve taken to using scissors. Much better results. Most recently in this fantastic pasta dish.

Herby pasta with tomatoes. A summer delight!

3. Sizing Parchment Paper. Biscuits are happier on parchment paper, and I’m happier when the paper doesn’t hang over the edge and become a fiery cinder .

Light golden-brown biscuits!

Because I limit the use of the shears to all things kitchen, I keep them clean, sharp, and well away from small, unsupervised hands. I’m not ready for the American Dolls to sport Mohawks, even if NASA has made them fashionable. How do you use your kitchen shears? Post a comment below, or Tweet!